Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-07-07
lMPROYEMENr SUCCESSION.
Something OF Criticism and Demsn
for Clear Water for the City's Use.

for Clear Water for the City's Use.
! EDS UNION: Having been ;
resident of Sacramento few weeks, have
observed the spirit of enterprise on thu
part of your citizens, having in view the
increase of boom and of the population
| and wealth of the community. In the de
mand for the improvement of the city
much stress is laid upon the unsightly ap'
pearance of the style OF architecture of the
business houses, with their great awnings
and porticos over the sidewalks also upon
the muddy streets in winter. l dare say
there is a great deal of mud here, as in
| other cities, in the unpaved portions, but
think it not impossible to enjoy q moderate
degree of prosperity without grading NJ OF
any other street that has inhabitants who
are either too destitute or too improvident
to improve it.
AS to the porches over the sidewalks
being reproach to the city, permit me to
enter a modest protest. After the enjoy
ment of q few weeks of Sacramento sun.
shine, am fairly reconciled to this defect
in the appearance of the business streets,
and have no doubt that when the rains OF
winter come l shall still more respect the
wisdom of those who first found these
great awnings necessary.
As stranger, have not been so much
impressed with the absence OF those things
that please the eye as | have been with the
absence Of one OF the three great essentials
of human life. Sacramento possesses in
its elegant homes, handsome gardens and
lawns, beautiful trees and flowers, fine
school buildings and churches, neatly
tended plaZas, and spacious theaters, all
that is needed to charm the eye and amuse
the stranger. 1t appears to have the bust
ness methods of metropolis combined
with the ease and retired privacy Of country
homes.
With such advantages one would think
that 1t would be safe to predict great and
prosperous future for city so admirably
situated for commerce and SO lavishly
decorated with floral beauty. But, alas /
one of the greatest of human necessities is
totally wanting. | can get wine, whisky
and beer, hut cannot get water fit to drink
in Sacramento. The people tell me the
water is good but | do not like it, and
" my gorge rises at it, If either of the
three great factors that so to make up the
sum of human needs-pure water, good air
and sufficient foods wanting there can
not be anything but fitful and spasmodic
prosperity where such want exists. With
bad air and bad water, there must neces-
sarily be lowered vitality, lessened physical
and mental energies, moral degradation
and progressive race deterioration.
Where such an imperative necessity ex-
lists it is hard to understand why an en-
phatic demand is not made by the COM
munity for better water. Where SO serious
a hindrance to good health and 10 natural
prosperity and to the development of
various industries exists, it is amazing that
en- CHI
tinue. 1t is difficult for stranger to I'M
derstand why an intelligent community
will endure the use of such muddy, and
at times, bad-smelling liquid as is supplied
through the city mains. If your people
like it, then it is sad reflection on their
taste. If they simply endure it, then it is
reasonable to conclude that the water has
got in its baleful work upon them until
they have no longer enough energy to ask
for nor desire anything better.
1t seems to me that the city authorities
ought to take the matter in hand and adver-
tise for plans and methods for furnishing
clear pure water, for it is safe to predict that
in these times of booms and progress else
where plan can be found that will supply
the city without the purchase of fran
chise and at no greater expense than the
necessary outlay to put it into operation.
All of the other needed Improvements
would follow as the sun follows
the night. But an increase of
population worth having is not
possible while no better inducement
than the liquid called water in Sacramento
is offered the new conner. The impecunious
may locate among you until he gets money
enough to get away, but people of wealth
and means will not bring their families
here to test the drainage of the northern
tule basins in their own stomachs.
1t is to underrate the good taste and in
telligence of strangers to expect them to
come and fall at once into the local habit
of endurance and mendacity in support of
the fiction that the river water is good,
when any one with an understanding
ranging from the average sense of driyel-
ing idiot to the towering intellect of DAN
iel Webster must pronounce it atrociously
vile.
Cannot the procurement of supply of
good. clear water be one of the results of
the efforts of the City Improvement Asso-
citation or of some other organization or
influence, for it seems to me that all other
efforts to make your city attractive to
home-seekers and capitalists fall into in
significance when compared with this one
thing and which at once stands boldly in
the face and against the stomach of every
yours, ]. B. L.
SET FOR To-MoREow.-The cases of c.
Koening and F. Alderman, accused of an
assault to murder Paxon Mcdowell at the
California Hotel last Sunday morning,
were yesterday transferred from the Police
Court to the Court of Justice Post, in
order that they might have a speedy hear
ing. 1t will be necessary to take McDowell's
deposition at the county hospital, which
the Police Judge would not have authority
to do, that institution being outside of the
limits. Judge Post has set the cases for
examination nj 10 A. N. tomorrow, and
fixed the bail of the defendants at s. 900
each. Prior to that time he will go out and
take McDowells testimony. The injured
man is said to be doing as well as could be
expected, and there are hopes that the use
Of the knee joint will be saved, but it is
quite doubtful.
THE SUSPENSION BRIDGE.-The Board of
Supervisors on Tuesday awarded the con-
tract for making the repairs TO the suspen-
sion bridge at Folsom to the King Iron
Bridge Company. Objection was so siren
uousiy made to their doing so, on the
ground that the company did not propose
TO do the work on the same basis that other
contractors had bid upon, that yesterday
Tuesdays action was resciuded. and the
Clerk of the Board directed to advertise for
proposals for doing the work on the basis
that the King Company vas making its.fg-
ures upon.
DEPUTY IN THE RECORDERS OFFICE
The boom" in real estate in this city and
county has brought such q great amount of
business to the County Recorders office
that the regular force has been unable TO
manage it. Consequently Recorder Miller
presented the matter 10 the Board of Super
visors yesterday, and asked that he be al
lowed another deputy. The request was
complied with. Ii is understood that r. I.
Cohn, a worthy and very competent Young
gentleman, well known in the city, will be
appointed to fill the position.
WOODLANDS ASSESSMENT RoLL.-Town
Marshal Hoyt, of Woodland. has just COM
pleted the town assessment roll. 1t shows
a total assessment of something less than
81, 000, 600, or little less than that of last
year. While the property taxation has
greatly increased, there has been great
falling off in the amount of money on
hand. The Mail says that Mr.. Hoyt ac-
counts for this on the ground that last wear